


Stand tall, stand proud (I'll hold you up when you fall down)

by blackm00n5



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eruri Week, Height Differences, I meant for this to be longer, M/M, but with extra kisses thrown in, soft, sort of a relationship study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 01:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20417321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackm00n5/pseuds/blackm00n5
Summary: Levi was used to being the short one, but that's not why he enjoyed looking down on Erwin, so much.





	Stand tall, stand proud (I'll hold you up when you fall down)

**Author's Note:**

> Eruri week! Day 4: Height difference! This one is short I'm sorry but I mostly just wanted to explore my thoughts and opinions on Levi and Erwin and my headcanons on why Levi enjoys looking down at Erwin. Feel free to tell me if I've missed any tags.

Looking down at Erwin was something of a thrill for Levi.

Levi’s height had never been much of a sore spot for him, really. Not since he’d been a child, at least. He was short, sure, but he was also fast and strong and clever. He didn’t need to rely on an incredible mass to be a force to be reckoned with. 

That being said, Erwin was - frankly - tall as fuck. Levi was used to having to tilt his head back to look at him. So looking down at him like this always made warmth spread through Levi like liquid fire, made desire burn bright in his veins. Held up against the wall, legs wrapped tightly around Erwin’s waist and holding his face as Erwin stared up at him with those oh so adoring eyes of his. Levi had always liked how easy it was for Erwin to haul him around, in fact. Liked how he had grabbed his thighs just minutes ago and easily lifted him up against the wall. Bracing him there as they kissed, slow and deep. And now, Levi got the wonderful experience of staring down at him, their eyes darkened with want and both a little breathless. 

The position didn’t make Levi feel taller, really, so much as it made him feel powerful. Which was bizarre, considering he wasn’t weak by any means. He was condensed mass of physical and mental strength, and by now everyone was well aware that his size didn’t make him any less of a soldier. 

But there was something about this position, about having Erwin looking up at him, that made Levi feel unstoppable. It made him feel like he had all the power in the world, made him feel like he could handle anything that came his way. He wondered, sometimes, if Erwin liked it too. If maybe it gave him some peace, letting Levi be above him for a little bit. He had always bent to Levi’s every whim, when they were alone. Had always easily and eagerly handed the control over to him, and Levi knew he needed that. Erwin needed some time to not have to worry about his decisions being important, needed to rely on someone else to be in charge if only for an hour or two. So Levi occasionally wondered if perhaps he got that same satisfaction from this. If, perhaps, looking up at Levi instead of down was somehow symbolic for him. 

He couldn’t bring himself to linger too much on the thought right then, though. Not with the way Erwin’s hands were gripping desperately at his thighs and how his pupils just kept widening as they stared at each other. Levi cupped his face lovingly, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. His head tilted slightly, eyes trailing down over the details of Erwin’s face as one of his hands moved to trace over his brow, down his nose, over his lips. 

Erwin kissed at his fingertips when he got to his lips, and a small smile twitched at Levi’s lips for a brief moment. Erwin had always been soft with him. Romantic. Another respite from having to be the monster the world sometimes saw him as. Not that Levi was complaining, of course. He loved it. He hadn’t been treated with such tenderness since his mother died. He figured his mom would like Erwin, really. He was intelligent, strong minded. He did what had to be done even when he didn’t want to. And he was so gentle, touching Levi like he were something precious. 

Levi leaned down enough to press their foreheads together, his eyes slipping shut. They did this often, spending much of their time just looking at one another, just breathing together. Pressed close, holding one another. Allowing themselves time to just be. Giving themselves the chance to simply exist together, taking up each other’s space and basking in it. They didn’t get this kind of time, often. Many times, they were left with rushed bouts of kissing when they had a few minutes or getting each other off when they had time between meetings and training and everything else that the world needed from them. So when they had these moments, a few slow days where they could cling to one another, they latched on and held so tightly it hurt to let go.

“We have all night.” Levi breathed out, and they were so close that his lips brushed Erwin’s as he spoke. He felt more than he heard the satisfied hum he got in response. 

Erwin’s grip on him shifted and tightened, and Levi’s ankles locked behind Erwin’s back because he knew what that meant. Erwin pulled back, away from the wall until he was the only thing supporting Levi’s weight. Another thing Levi liked, in a weirdly symbolic way. Being held up by nothing but Erwin’s arms. Erwin being the thing keeping him held high, held above him. Erwin kissed him sweetly as he turned, relying on his memory of the room to get them from the wall beside the door to the bed at the other end of the room. Not that it was difficult for him, of course. His room had been set up the same way for years and this was far from the first time either of them had had to navigate it without their sight. 

When Erwin sat down on the bed, it allowed for his hands to slide up to grip Levi’s hips instead, while Levi settled down in his lap. Levi was very nearly eye level with him when he was seated in his lap like this, but realistically this was even better. They were equals, after all. Officially, they were a commanding officer and his subordinate. But in reality? They were partners, relying on one another to move forward. Being more or less eye to eye with him made that feel particularly prominent. He was allowed to be this close, comfortable in Erwin’s lap. He was allowed to see his vulnerability, just as Erwin was allowed his see his. 

Erwin smiled at him, that soft, almost tired smile, and tilted his head up to kiss him again. Just as slow and deep and eager as before.

Yes. Face to face was definitely better than looking down.


End file.
